Everett takes up medical marijuana issue again

Cities like Mukilteo and Seattle allow collective medical marijuana gardens. Others like Kent have banned them. Now Everett is deciding what to do with theirs.

Everett decided to allow the gardens last July when the new state law went into effect, but it put that decision on hold for a year so it could figure out how to zone and manage them.

That moratorium runs out in a month. The city takes the issue up again this week. Another 6-month moratorium is expected.

City spokeswoman Kate Reardon said that cities are stuck in the middle of this debate. The state law violates federal law.

"We've been given a task within these wild boundaries, and we're just trying to find our way," Reardon said. "We want to do it the right way. We don't want to just go out and make a decision that's going to bite us later on."

The city's planning commission will discuss collective gardens Tuesday night. The council will talk about them on Wednesday. A public hearing is expected in early July.